They help others find the information that you used.

They help establish the credibility of your own research.

They connect your work to the work of other scholars.

It is one way that scholars enter into a dialogue with each other.

University of California Irvine Libraries. (n.d.). Why is it important I cite my sources accurately? Begin your research tutorial: Make citations. Retrieved from http://www.lib.uci.edu/sites/tutorials/BeginResearch/public/citations_3.html